When Bob and Jan Raven of
Hernando, Florida, recall Bob’s
10-day stay at UF Health Shands
Hospital to treat atrial fibrillation, one emotion
overwhelmingly comes to mind: gratitude.
“It was a great experience,” Bob Raven says.
“What impressed me most was, from the top
of the organization to the bottom, everyone
was friendly, upbeat and smiling. When you’re
in the intensive care unit, that becomes very
important. It was a caring place to be in. I
haven’t found that environment anywhere else.”
The quality of care Bob Raven received from
cardiologist and department of medicine
chair Jamie Conti, MD ’87, and staff inspired
the couple to express their thanks with gifts
in support of cardiology and pediatrics,
respectively.
The Raven Family Fellowship Endowment
in Cardiology will support the education
of future cardiologists at the UF College of
Medicine. The Ravens also donated toward
the construction of the UF Health Children’s
Healing Garden for patients of UF Health
Shands Children’s Hospital.
“People sometimes don’t understand the
importance of giving back,” Bob Raven says.
“They only remember when something’s
wrong, not when something went right.
We decided it was time to give praise when
praise is due. Satisfaction comes from giving,
not receiving.”
36 | F LO R I DA P HYS I C IAN
The Ravens hope the fellowship will empower
those studying at the UF College of Medicine
to obtain a first-rate education using the most
modern medical technology and resources.
“This is a teaching institution — the more
resources you can provide would-be doctors,
the better training they’ll receive and the
better doctors they’ll become,” Bob Raven
says. “Teaching institutions are always at the
cutting edge of medical practice.”
The UF Health Children's Healing Garden, set
to be constructed in front of UF Health Shands
Hospital facing Archer Road, will provide a
safe space for pediatric patients to rehabilitate
through gardening, walking and playing
among the flora and fauna. Jan Raven says she
was motivated to support the project for its
potential impact on the health outcomes of UF
Health’s youngest patients.
“We were told by a doctor that the key to
a healthy life is exercise, exercise, exercise,”
she says. “If the kids can get outside in this
garden, maybe they can get better faster and
get out of the hospital. We’d love these kids
to get back to their families and their lives
instead of sitting in hospital rooms.”
The Ravens have a long history of using
their time and resources to give back. Bob
Raven has served on the board for Youth for
Tomorrow, founded by retired football coach
Joe Gibbs, while Jan Raven has overseen
a team of 600 volunteers at the John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C.
Jan Raven says she and her husband agree
that their philanthropy and volunteer work
has provided them with warm feelings that
last a lifetime. That same feeling motivates
the pair to continue making the 90-minute
drive from Citrus County to UF Health for their
health care needs.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to get another
two and a half years with Bob,” she says. “Had
he not come to UF Health, he wouldn’t be
here today.”
Philanthropy News
‘Satisfaction comes
from giving’
Bob and Jan Raven’s pair of gifts
supports cardiology and pediatrics
BY TYLER FRANCISCHINE | PHOTOS BY JESSE S. JONES
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Illustration provided by Nature Explore, a collaborative project
of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational
Research Foundation